Victory or Sovngarde

Chapter Thirty

When I awoke, it was morning.

How long have we been camped out here?

With a groan, I sat up, holding my forehead in one hand. Around the edge of the tent, the three thieves had set up bedrolls of their own. Femke was the one keeping watch at the tent's entrance, her back to us, fingers plucking at the taut string of her bow that laid beside her. Her shoulders tensed as an unknown critter scurried through the underbrush nearby, then she relaxed when the noise ceased.

"Femke?" I croaked, surprised at how raspy my voice sounded.

She turned. "Oh, you're awake. Been that way long?"

I shook my head. "Anything happen while I was asleep?"

"We finished setting up camp and secured the area before returning here. Bryn and I are planning to go hunting for something to eat." She smirked at me. "I'm sure you're starving."

I nodded, mouth watering at the very thought of a hot meal.

With another grin, Femke swung around, took off one of her boots, and tossed it at Brynjolf. "Wake up, honey. Time to go."

Brynjolf, although lying still just moments before, bolted upright to catch the boot lobbed at him. I reeled backwards in shock at his quick reflexes.

"Lass, when will you learn that's not very effective?" He put the boot down and slipped out of his bedroll. "I'm already up anyway." He stood, stretched his arms above his head, then sighed and headed over to his gear. "We going hunting?"

"Yep. Etienne will stay here to keep an eye on Ylva while we're gone."

At the mention of his name, Etienne yawned and sat up. "Somebody call for me?"

"Bryn and I are leaving. Need you to stay and keep watch here."

He offered a mock salute. "You got it, boss. How long do you expect to be gone?"

"As long as it takes to bag a few rabbits or maybe a wild goat."

He nodded. "Fair enough. I'll get a fire going."

I shifted on my bedroll, trying to disentangle myself from it without agitating my healing wounds. "What if the Thalmor find us?"

"Don't worry, Ylva," said Etienne as he offered me a smile. "I'm not totally defenseless."

"And we won't be going far," added Femke. "If you need us, holler. We'll hear you." Then, after she had pulled on her boot that Brynjolf had thrown back at her, she and her husband left, bows on their backs and satchels hanging at their sides.

"I wouldn't think thieves were that good at hunting," I remarked as Etienne helped me up so we could sit outside and watch for Thalmor. He eased me back to the ground near the fire pit they must have set up after I had fallen asleep. I crossed my legs in front of me while he knelt to drop some more kindling on the logs.

"Femke knows her way around a bow," he said as he spread the smaller twigs and branches out. "And we're pretty lucky. Thieves, I mean. How else could we break into the Thalmor Embassy and nab their number-one prisoner?"

"The gods were watching over you."

He snorted out a mirthless laugh. "You weren't so faithful the last time we met." He found a pointed stick and began to twist it into the flat side of one of the logs.

"When you go to Sovngarde, things tend to be put into perspective. I didn't want to end up somewhere in Oblivion, and my parents would've wanted me to keep the faith. I was too angry to realize that the last time I saw you."